Instructions: Brown ground beef, or turkey, with onion in large soup pot. Drain excess fat. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables and barley are tender, about 45 minutes.

Serve with cornbread or your favorite muffin. If you have leftovers heat over medium high heat until soup is very thick, like a casserole mixture. Pour soup into a appropriate size greased casserole dish. Place dollops of biscuit dough on top and bake at 375 degrees until topping is cooked through.

Substitute your favorite vegetables, including leftovers, for the carrots and lima beans. Root vegetables and large frozen vegetables should be added at the beginning. Pre-cooked vegetables and small frozen vegetables such as peas and corn should be added during last 15 minutes of cooking, to avoid soggy vegetables.

NOTES : Beef barley is often a popular soup from delicatessens to fine restaurants. Enjoy an entire soup pot of this version for less than the price of one bowl at a restaurant.

Heres another. Ive a turkey sausage link that was bland (from butterball company) that I could use in this soup. Limas!-) Probably needs more herb. . .

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